Ray Winstone

A strong character actor known for his multi-dimensional portrayals of hard men on the wrong side of the law, Ray Winstone burst onto the scene with a riveting performance in the British-made "Scum" (...
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Ray Winstone has urged British politicians to fix the country's health service after his father caught septicaemia while in hospital. The Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull star was left devastated following the death of his father, Raymond, Sr., last year (14), and he has now revealed he faced a heartbreaking decision in the months leading up to the tragedy.
Winstone alleges his 82-year-old dad did not receive proper care during his time in a National Health Service (NHS) hospital after he was admitted to treat injuries sustained in a fall, and he was struck down with blood poisoning.
The actor then went against his principles by transferring his dad to a private hospital, but was unable to save him.
He tells Britain's The Independent Magazine, "They hadn't been moving him around, and he got septicaemia. And I seen all these programmes on the telly, politicians saying how the NHS is getting better. No it's f**king not. I saw three men on his ward lose legs through not being moved... You can't blame the staff as such. Because the staff haven't got the time. You have to blame the system. 'Cause it ain't working... (After moving him to a private hospital) it was too late. The damage had been done."
Winstone admits he wanted to make an official complaint, but his dad was too proud to go through with it, so the star is now calling on the country's politicians to make serious changes to the NHS to improve standards of care.
He adds, "They're (politicians are) supposed to represent us. Yet we've got fire stations and schools closing down, not being funded right. We're losing nurses abroad. They're the people we're losing from our way of life, the people that actually serve our society. We're not paying them properly."
Neil Churchill, Director for Patient Experience at NHS England, tells The Independent newspaper, "The best way to improve care is to listen to what patients and their families tell us. Complaints are important opportunities for learning but we know that some people are reluctant to complain and so we have introduced new ways for anyone who is not happy about the quality of their care to mention it to those caring for them, so that something can be done."

British actor Ray Winstone forced himself to cut back on his boozing after becoming shocked by his overweight appearance in upcoming film The Gunman. The Noah star admits he had no idea how heavy he had become until he saw himself onscreen, and it inspired him to overhaul his diet and lifestyle habits in a bid to become healthier.
Winstone tells Britain's Independent on Saturday, "I was well (very) overweight on that film. I wasn't too well. What I'd done was, I'd overworked. I felt a bit rough. I dunno (sic), maybe I was burning the candle as well... So I was kind of battered (exhausted) a bit. So I couldn't really actually move about too much. And when I saw The Gunman I thought, 'Yeah, f**k me, the size of you, you really gotta do something about that'. Which I kinda have. I used to love a booze. But I get bored with it now."

British actor Ray Winstone has written a letter to officials in London in a bid to save a family-run tailors shop from closure. The Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull star has been buying suits from Copperfield tailors in Moorgate for many years, but the shop is under threat amid plans to develop the area.
The street is set to be redesigned as part of a rejuvenation plan, and the business could be forced to close or move out of the area under a proposal which has been submitted for planning permission, and Winstone is adamant officials need to step in.
He has penned a letter to members of the City of London Corporation, urging them to save the shop, writing, "Over the past 13 years I have purchased countless suits and other garments as well as using their alteration service for mine and my family's personal clothing. I believe this is one of the last remaining family-run businesses in the City... which carries out work to such a high quality.
"Copperfield forms an integral part of the City and surrounding areas serving both workers and businesses who rely heavily on their services. To see a business like this close due to such a scheme would be tragic."
The planning application for the scheme has yet to be approved.

Were you paying attention to the big screen and all the Hollywood happenings in 2014? We thought we'd kick off the New Year with a quick look back over the last 12 months of WENN movie news and pose a few questions to one and all that might just help you recall some magical moments at the cinema, or some hot gossip from the year just gone.
The prize for the winner? Bragging rights and a front row seat to the 2015 Oscars in your own living room! Best of luck!
1. The Fault in Our Stars was based on a book written by which author?
a. John Green
b. John White
c. James Green
d. James Brown
2. What song did not feature on the soundtrack to Guardians of the Galaxy?
a. I'm Not in Love
b. Mama Told Me Not to Come
c. Spirit in the Sky
d. Hooked on a Feeling
3. From which hit animated movie did the catchy tune Everything is Awesome come?
a. Muppets Most Wanted
b. The Lego Movie
c. How to Train Your Dragon 2
d. Mr Peabody and Sherman
4. Game of Thrones star Kit Harington starred in which epic disaster film based on true events?
a. Godzilla
b. 300: Rise of an Empire
c. Hercules
d. Pompeii
5. The son of which longtime Hollywood couple starred alongside Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill in 22 Jump Street?
a. Colin Hanks, son of Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson
b. Oliver Hudson, son of Bill Hudson and Goldie Hawn
c. Jaden Smith, son of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith
d. Wyatt Russell, son of Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn
6. Which of the following was not a cast member in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes?
a. Andy Serkis
b. James Franco
c. Jason Clarke
d. Gary Oldman
7. Get On Up was a biopic based on the life of which legendary musician?
a. James Brown
b. Stevie Wonder
c. George Clinton
d. Smokey Robinson
8. Which Hollywood veteran portrayed the family matriarch in This Is Where I Leave You?
a. Anjelica Huston
b. Jane Fonda
c. Bette Midler
d. Dame Judi Dench
9. Which musical did The Amazing Spider-Man star Emma Stone make her Broadway debut in?
a. Chicago
b. Cabaret
c. Wicked
d. Les Miserables
10. Which one of these celebrities was NOT part of Ellen DeGeneres' famous 'selfie' taken during the 2014 Academy Awards?
a. Channing Tatum
b. Kevin Spacey
c. Matthew McConaughey
d. Jared Leto
11. Which actress celebrated her one-year wedding anniversary to her tennis pro husband on New Year's Eve?
a. Ashley Tisdale
b. Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting
c. Naya Rivera
d. Ginnifer Goodwin
12. Who will play the villain in the next James Bond movie?
a. Quentin Tarantino
b. Mark Strong
c. Christoph Waltz
d. Bryan Cranston
13. Which country do the two actors who played Solomon Northup in 12 Years a Slave and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Selma come from?
a. England
b. France
c. Canada
d. America
14. Who rang in 2014 with Charlize Theron and has since become her boyfriend?
a. Sean Penn
b. Chris Pratt
c. Mark Wahlberg
d. Joaquin Phoenix
15. Name new mum Scarlett Johansson's daughter.
a. Kate
b. Jane
c. Apple
d. Rose
16. Which famous Jessica played Matthew McConaughey's grown-up daughter in Interstellar?
a. Jessica Alba
b. Jessica Biel
c. Jessica Chastain
d. Jessica Lange
17. Which Brit picked up the Best Actor prize at the Cannes Film Festival in May for his portrayal of grumpy artist J.W. Turner?
a. Colin Firth
b. Timothy Spall
c. Ray Winstone
d. Alan Rickman
18. What was the highest grossing movie of 2014?
a. Transformers: Age of Extinction
b. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1
c. Guardians of the Galaxy
d. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
19. Which awards season favourite was filmed over 12 years?
a. Boyhood
b. Birdman
c. Foxcatcher
d. Selma
20. In what film did Jennifer Lawrence debut her singing voice, scoring a chart hit all around the world?
a. Silver Linings Playbook
b. American Hustle
c. X-Men: Days of Future Past
d. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1
21. What is the bestselling music soundtrack on iTunes this year?
a. Frozen
b. Annie
c. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1
d. Guardians of the Galaxy
22. He ended 2014 a newlywed with a hit movie, called The Theory of Everything. Name the British actor who married fiancee Hannah Bagshawe in England on 15 December.
a. Benedict Cumberbatch
b. Timothy Spall
c. Eddie Redmayne
d. Colin Firth
23. Why did model-turned-actress Milla Jovovich announce she was putting the next film in her Resident Evil franchise on hold in August?
a. Script problems
b. Financial issues
c. Her director husband Paul W.S. Anderson had abandoned the movie
d. She was pregnant
24. In 2014, this actor played Moses and became a new dad. Name him.
a. Joel Edgerton
b. Chris Pratt
c. Christian Bale
d. Mark Wahlberg
25. Another new dad, Chris Hemsworth, was named People magazine's Sexiest Man Alive in 2014, but who's the lucky actress, the mother of his kids, who gets to cuddle up to him every night?
a. Eva Mendes
b. Elsa Pataky
c. Scarlett Johansson
d. Jessica Alba
ANSWERS:
1. a
2. b
3. b
4. d
5. d
6. b
7. a
8. b
9. b
10. c
11. b
12. c
13. a
14. a
15. d
16. c
17. b
18. a
19. a
20. d
21. a
22. c
23. d
24. c
25. b

British actors Jaime Winstone and Alfie Allen sparked rumours they have rekindled their on/off romance when they were spotted on a secret skate date on Monday (10Nov14). Kidulthood star Winstone, daughter of veteran screen star Ray Winstone, ended her seven-year romance with the Game of Thrones actor in July (14), four years after their engagement was called off.
Last month (Oct14), she discussed life as a single lady and insisted she would never turn to online dating as it is not romantic enough, but now it appears she might be overcoming her loneliness by getting close to Allen once again.
The pair arrived separately at an ice-skating rink in London on Monday night, but editors at Britain's Daily Mirror newspaper report they were later seen holding hands and flirting.
A source tells the publication, "It's definitely not over. It never is with them - their bond is too strong."

British actress Jaime Winstone has ruled out online dating as she deems it unnatural. The Kidulthood star ended her on/off relationship with Game of Thrones actor Alfie Allen earlier this year (14) and she has now moved back in with her parents, movie legend Ray Winstone and mother Elaine.
Despite her newly single-status, Winstone is adamant she won't turn to the internet to find a date as "it goes against the grain" of finding love.
She tells Britain's You magazine, "I would never ever do online dating or (dating app) Tinder - I can't think of anything less romantic. For me, it goes against the grain of meeting someone in a natural way and having real chemistry. I love how romance is so complicated, but also so clear... I think every girl wants to be swept off her feet - and I think sometimes the right person is in front of us but is hard to see."
Winstone also gushed about being in love, adding "If you're madly in love, nothing can touch that. It's scary because you make yourself so vulnerable when you fall in love, but when you get it right it can be pretty damn good.

"I find shooting sex scenes, knowing that he will be watching them, a nightmare, but you just have to get on with it. I remember being on set with him as a child, when he was shooting Beowulf with Angelina Jolie, and seeing them kissing. I found it so strange, but my mum wasn't bothered at all." Actress Jaime Winstone hates shooting sex scenes because she knows her dad, actor Ray, will see them.

Keanu Reeves has won a restraining order against the woman who broke into the actor's home and swam in his pool. The woman, who told cops she believed Reeves could help her find her abducted father "Ray Winstone", was admitted to a psychiatric hospital but the actor fears it's only a matter of time before she's released - and returns to his pad.
A judge has agreed that she is a threat to the movie star and he has ordered her to stay at least 100 yards (91.4 meters) away from him at all times, reports TMZ.com.

A stunt double working on the Point Break remake has suffered a broken jaw in a freak surfing accident. Laurie Towner, who doubles for actor Luke Bracey, was filming the new movie in Tahiti, French Polynesia when he was knocked from his board and hit his head on the seabed.
Towner was hospitalised with a broken jaw, cuts to his face and a number of deep puncture wounds. He posted a picture of his injuries on his Instagram.com page and insists he is lucky to be alive.
He writes, "Teahupoo (Tahiti surf spot) gave me a good old fashion flogging yesterday on my 3rd wave... I hit my head on the bottom and must have blacked out because the next thing I can remember is being in the lagoon gasping for air in calm water. Apparently there was a bigger wave behind an no one saw me surface... Either way I'm really lucky and grateful I'm still here.
"I got myself a broken jaw some stitches in my lip and eye lid, whip lash to my neck and back, and a couple (of) small puncture wounds that went through my neck ad (and) into the back of my mouth that apparently just missed an artery. Just want to thank every one who helped me though out yesterday really appreciate it! I'm all good and as positive as ever! I'll be back when my jaw is good."
The new version of the 1991 Patrick Swayze film stars Edgar Ramirez, Luke Bracey, Teresa Palmer and Ray Winstone.

British actor Ray Winstone has been handed a $340 (£200) fine for illegally driving his car in a bus lane. The Departed star was caught breaking the rules by police officers in Essex, England at the end of last year (13).
Under U.K. law, only buses are allowed to use the lane unless signs state otherwise.
At Chelmsford Magistrates Court in England last week (ends10Aug14), Winstone pleaded guilty and was handed the $340 fine. He was also ordered to pay $153 (£90) costs and a $34 (£20) victim surcharge.

Title

Featured as a loan shark in Anjelica Huston's 1967 Dublin-set drama "Agnes Browne"

Cast in the fourth Indiana Jones film series, "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull"

Portrayed a working-class father who, along with his wife, must cope with the accidental death of their young son in the British telefilm "Our Boy" (screened at Toronto International Film Festival)

Starred in "Births, Marriages and Deaths," a four-part BBC TV series

Played recurring role of a gangster in the British series "A Fairly Secret Army"

Cast in Anthony Minghella's ensemble "Breaking and Entering"

Portrayed the title character in Robert Zemeckis' big-budget film version of "Beowulf"

Acted in "My Father, The Liar," a Bob Hoskins-directed segment of the omnibus film "Tube Tales"

Played leading role as a family patriarch in "The War Zone," an incest themed drama marking Tim Roth's directorial debut; screened at both the Sundance and Cannes Film Festivals

Appeared in the romantic comedy "Martha, Meet Frank, Daniel and Laurence" (released in the USA as "The Very Thought of You" in 1999); film starred Monica Potter, Joseph Fiennes, Rufus Sewall and Tom Hollander

Cast as one of the eight dwarfs in "Snow White and the Huntsman" opposite Kristen Stewart and Charlize Theron

Played a CIA officer covering up a murder in the film adaptation of "Edge of Darkness"

Appeared in "Ladies and Gentlemen, the Fabulous Stains," starring Diane Lane as a teenage punk star

Was in the ensemble of the drama "Last Orders"

Voiced Mr. Beaver in "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe," based on the children's novel by C.S. Lewis

Starred in Patrick Marber's play "Dealer's Choice"; transferred to the West End

Discovered by director Alan Clarke and hired to play reform school terror Carlin in the BBC telefilm "Scum" (shelved by censors for content)

Appeared in Ken Loach's "Ladybird, Ladybird"

Returned to the stage in the Royal Court production of "Some Voice"

Cast in Martin Scorsese's mob drama, "The Departed"

Had title role in the British TV series "Fox"

Starred in the BBC sitcom "Get Real"

Had first real romantic lead opposite Kerry Fox in "Fanny and Elvis"

Starred in "The Proposition," an Australian western written by musician Nick Cave

Reprised his role for Clarke's feature remake of "Scum"

Was a championship boxer, losing only eight of 88 bouts

Starred alongside Robert Carlyle as a career criminal who betrays his cohorts in "Face," helmed by Antonia Bird

Starred in Jez Butterworth's stage play "The Night Heron" at London's Royal Court Theatre

Starred as Will Scarlett in the British TV series "Robin of Sherwood"

Played Teague in the drama "Cold Mountain"

Appeared in "King Arthur" with Clive Owen and Keira Knightley

Portrayed rocker Kevin in "Quadrophenia," a Mods vs Rockers tale inspired by The Who's album of the same name

Starred in "Sexy Beast"; screened at Sundance in 2001

Starred in "Tank Malling" as titular investigative reporter

Attended drama school; was asked to leave because of an incident involving his sabotaging of the headmistress' car

Cast in Martin Scorsese’s family adventure "Hugo"

Made a a triumphant return to form with a starring role as the raging Raymond in Gary Oldman's "Nil By Mouth"

Appeared in the Donmar Warehouse production of "To the Green Fields and Beyond," directed by Sam Mendes

Initial collaboration with Kathy Burke, starring in the stage play "Mr. Thomas," written and directed by Burke

Summary

A strong character actor known for his multi-dimensional portrayals of hard men on the wrong side of the law, Ray Winstone burst onto the scene with a riveting performance in the British-made "Scum" (1979), only to spend the ensuing decade wallowing in lesser roles unworthy of his talents. Forced into bankruptcy and on the outs with acting by the end of the 1980s, Winstone re-emerged with an acclaimed performance in friend Kathy Burke's stage play, "Mr. Thomas," which not only helped relaunch his career, but also invigorated his confidence. Ever since that play, Winstone developed into a highly-sought performer who - with age and experience - gravitated towards more complex characters, portraying often violent men with a strong degree of sympathy, as he did playing an abusive alcoholic in his breakthrough performance, "Nil By Mouth" (1997). But it was his turn in "Sexy Beast" (2001), as a reticent ex-con beset by a rabid ex-colleague trying to recruit him for a job, which earned Winstone some of the highest praise of his career. From there, he entered into the realm of the high-profile Hollywood feature, appearing in "King Arthur" (2004) and "The Departed" (2006), before co-starring in perhaps one of the most anticipated summer movies of all time, "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" (2008). Acclaimed projects like "Hugo" (2011) and "Great Expectations" (PBS, 2012) only solidified Winstone's reputation as one of the most prolific and acclaimed actors of his generation to cross the Atlantic.

Name

Role

Comments

Elaine Winstone

Wife

Married c. 1978; separated briefly in the early 1990s when Winstone declared bankruptcy

Education

Name

Edmonton County School

Corona Stage Academy

Notes

Winstone on the aftermath of his intense and startlingly realistic portrayal of a violent husband in Gary Oldman's "Nil By Mouth": "Well, I didn't emerge unscathed. That's the truth of it. I mean, 'Nil By Mouth' is a very harrowing film. But it wasn't harrowing to make. We had a ball doing it. Lots of laughs. It was only when the filming was over that I started asking myself was there something in me that was like the character? Was I capable of showing that kind of rage myself? It can be quite frightening when you start worrying about stuff like that. But it soon passes. You get offered another role and start getting into that." – quoted in Loaded, December 1997

"You know directing is a hard game and life is too sweet for all that aggravation. When I finish a film I go home. Sit in an editing suite for three months? Sod that. I've been paid, thank you very much, see you at the premiere." – Winstone on following in the footsteps of actor-directors Gary Oldman and Tim Roth, quoted in The London Times, Jan. 8, 1999

Winstone on his character on the BBC's "Births, Marriages and Deaths": "Even though he's the baddie, I play him as the goodie. I think it's more interesting to play it the opposite way. Even Hitler had someone who loved him" – quoted in Inside Soap, Feb. 19-March 5, 1999